Basic Guidelines for Removing Shrubs

Published February 28, 2025

A Note From The Home Depot

There may be some situations where removing shrubs is necessary, such as improving your home's appearance or just general upkeep. While companies that remove trees and tree stumps will often remove large shrubs, the cost can be substantial. Fortunately, with a little DIY effort and the options available at your local equipment rental center, removing shrubs is within the abilities of most average homeowners.

RENT SHRUB REMOVAL TOOLS

Influencer Guide

Outdoor Living Ideas

Lawn and Garden

Yard Care

Outdoor Decor

Trees and Shrubs

Rent from The Home Depot

Outdoor

Plan Out Your Shrub Removal Projects
Cutting and Mulching Shrubs
Bring Out Your Shovel
Use a Tractor to Expose the Root Ball
Fill in the New Hole
Consider Renting Equipment to Remove Shrubs

Plan Out Your Shrub Removal Projects

A woman looking at a tablet in front of shrubs.

Yes, you can tackle a shrub removal project on your own. But there are certain steps to take to ensure your safety and that of your home’s appearance and layout.

Note: Make sure no gas lines or water supply lines are located beneath or immediately adjacent to the shrub.

Cutting and Mulching Shrubs

A woman in safety glasses preparing to use a chainsaw on a shrub.

Rent a tree trimmer or chainsaw and cut the shrub down, starting at the top and progressing to ground level. After cutting, a mulcher from your equipment rental center can save you a lot of labor. It reduces the limbs to a mulch, making them manageable for disposal or other landscaping uses.

Bring Out Your Shovel

A man digging at the roots of shrub or plant with a shovel.

Using a shovel, dig around the root ball of the shrub. You should remove enough soil to loosen the root ball as much as possible.

Use a Tractor to Expose the Root Ball

A man riding a tractor on grass in front of trees.

If you own a lawn tractor, back it up to the site of the shrub. If not, rent a small skid steer.
Wrap a chain or tow strap around the exposed root ball. Then, attach the chain to the tow hitch on the tractor.
Slowly pull the tractor forward to remove slack from the chain. Pull the root ball partially from the ground, then stop.
Using the shovel, remove more soil from around and below the roots.
Resume slowly pulling the root ball with the tractor until it's extracted.
If it resists removal, stop and dig more soil away with the shovel.

Fill in the New Hole

After the root ball is extracted, fill the hole with topsoil. If you’re planning to plant new landscape in place of the shrub, rent a rototiller. You need to thoroughly work up the soil first.

Consider Renting Equipment to Remove Shrubs

A THD representative speaking with a customer about a tractor rental.

Removing shrubs may take some effort. But you can accomplish this DIY project on your own, safely and affordably. The good news is that The Home Depot Tool and Equipment Rental has what you need, from shovels to chainsaws to tractors. But before using your rental equipment, make sure you consult the operations manual.

Are you interested in removing shrubs from your home? Stop by The Home Depot for more advice about safely removing shrubs. You'll find a large selection of rental tools and equipment for any project. Plus, the The Home Depot truck rental provides pickups, vans and moving trucks. You can get your tools and equipment right where they're needed, on your schedule.

This post was created in partnership with The Home Depot. The author may have received compensation for this article and associated images or video, potentially in the form of products and/or services. All expressed opinions and experiences are the author’s own words.